Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

Some romantic books I read this summer and am reviewing now to reach a double Cannonball

Fangirl, the Manga: Volume 3 by Rainbow Rowell and Gabi Nam

Deal with the Devil by Kit Rocha

How the Wallflower Was Won by Eva Leigh

Knockout by Sarah Maclean

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Fangirl, the Manga: Volume 3 – Rainbow Rowell and Gabi Nam Rating: 4 stars This August saw the release of the third installment of Rainbow Rowell’s manga version of Fangirl, my absolute favourite of her books (did I just buy a fancy tenth-anniversary edition, even though I own it in three other formats, NOT counting the mangas? You betcha). Cath is still struggling at college. Her writing partner Nick steals the story they’ve been working on together and makes her seem unreasonable for being upset […]

Fried Chicken and “Wild Geese”

Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 8 by Rachel Kramer Bussel,

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I read erotica for several reasons. One of them is political. Accusations of pornography are thrown around when pushing back against the (small) gains in representation made by BIPOC and queer authors. Side note, a friend told me the parent group at her kids’ school had to argue with someone who claimed the description of a child eating a mango was pornographic. The reasonable parents prevailed, but in too many communities the unreasonable people are succeeding. I’m happy to frustrate a bigot by supporting my […]

Another rogue bites the dust

The Good Girl's Guide to Rakes by Eva Leigh

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I haven’t read much historical romance lately, and after reading this one I may not again for awhile.  I’d forgotten how formulaic a lot of these books are now, especially by authors that churn out several in a short time.  I really enjoyed Eva Leigh’s earlier books in this genre, but this one was rather predictable.  The basic plot is that three male friends, (who are, of course, hedonistic bachelors who have no real desire to settle down) must find suitable respectable women to marry […]

A sheep in rake’s clothing

My Fake Rake by Eva Leigh

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This is the first book in the Union of the Rakes series, and it starts off with a scene reminiscent of The Breakfast Club.  Five schoolboys are in detention, though for what is not clearly defined.  It’s really just a device to have the boys form a friendship, and provide a backstory to join them together for the series.  This one focuses on Sebastian Holloway – his adult self is scholarly, bespectacled, unfashionably dressed, impoverished and socially awkward.  He loves his research and spending time […]

Forever Your Earl is not worth your time

Forever Your Earl by Eva Leigh

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Omg this book. The premise is fantastic. To wit: Plot: a commoner who owns a tabloid is taunted into accepting a exclusive by a rakish Earl who needs to distract the tabloid from a buddy of his that has disappeared until they find him, lest yada yada reputation etc. He takes her to all the places he goes while being a rake to give her a juicy story, shenanigans ensue. So I think the reason I picked up this book was that I had read […]

Two nerdy characters and a make-over fake dating plot – in a Regency romance

My Fake Rake by Eva Leigh

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Official book description: Lady Grace Wyatt is content as a wallflower, focusing on scientific pursuits rather than the complications of society matches. But when a handsome, celebrated naturalist returns from abroad, Grace wishes, for once, to be noticed. Her solution: to “build” the perfect man, who will court her publicly and help her catch his eye. Grace’s colleague, anthropologist Sebastian Holloway, is just the blank slate she requires. In exchange for funding his passage on an expedition leaving London in a few months, Sebastian allows […]



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